POST form in MVC - No Values being written to DB - asp.net-mvc

Question

I have a model that I'm trying to edit with a form:
public class Basiclife
{
[Key]
public int Id { get; set; }
public int? ResponseId { get; set; }
public string Plantype { get; set; }
public int Enrolledftes { get; set; }
public decimal Pctemployer { get; set; }
public decimal Fixedbenamt { get; set; }
public decimal Salarymult { get; set; }
public decimal Bencap { get; set; }
}
And a view wrapper to edit it (with the editor in a separate partial view):
<h2>CreateBasicLifeResponse</h2>
<div id="planList">
#using (Html.BeginForm("CreateBasicLifeResponse", "Surveys"))
{
<div id="editorRows">
#foreach (var item in Model.basiclives)
{
#Html.Partial("_BasicLifeResponse", item)
}
</div>
#Html.ActionLink("Add", "BasicLifeResponse", null, new { id = "addItem", #class = "button" });
<input type="submit" value="submit" />
}
</div>
The wrapper's model is:
public class ResponseBasicLife
{
public Response response { get; set; }
public List<Basiclife> basiclives { get; set; }
}
Here's the partial view:
#using CustomSurveyTool.Models
#model Basiclife
<div class="editorRow">
#using (Html.BeginCollectionItem("basiclives"))
{
<div class="form-horizontal">
#Html.ValidationSummary(true, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Plantype, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Plantype, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Plantype, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Enrolledftes, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Enrolledftes, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Enrolledftes, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Pctemployer, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Pctemployer, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Pctemployer, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Fixedbenamt, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Fixedbenamt, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Fixedbenamt, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Salarymult, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Salarymult, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Salarymult, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Bencap, htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Bencap, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Bencap, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
X
</div>
</div>
}
</div>
Here's my controller action where I'm getting the proper responseId and assigning it to the form values:
public ActionResult CreateBasicLifeResponse(ResponseBasicLife model)
{
for (var i = 1; i < model.basiclives.Count; i++)
{
string currentUserId = User.Identity.GetUserId();
Response targetresponse = db.response.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Userid == currentUserId);
int responseid = targetresponse.Id;
model.basiclives[i].ResponseId = responseid;
db.basiclife.Add(model.basiclives[i]);
db.SaveChanges();
}
ResponseBasicLife basicliferesponse = new ResponseBasicLife
{
basiclives = new List<Basiclife>
{
new Basiclife { }
}
};
return View(basicliferesponse);
}
The only thing that's being written to the database is the ResponseID. How do I get the rest of the values to write to it?

Answer 1

This is a unique case where EditorFor could help. Essentially an object will have its editor template which is kind of like a partial view but specific to editing forms.
Secondly, the being form you are specifying is expecting the model of the view that you specified - in your case the viewWrapper. If for instance you specified a List<BasicLife>, then that is what the postBack shall be expecting, and not the BasicLife object. Below is how your postback would look like.
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult CreateBasicLifeResponse(List<BasicLife> model){
//your code goes here
}
From your view though, it looks clear that Model contains more than just a list. That is what shall be expected from the callback.